CHAPTER XII
SUGGESTIVE FAMILY SCHEDULE
A carefully developed routine helps children and parents
to avoid cluttering their day with an infinite number
of unnecessary choices. It reduces conflicts and frustration.
One of the problems in making a daily schedule for a
child two to six years old is to have it synchronize with
the schedules of the baby and of other children in the
family. On pages 257-261 is a schedule planned for families
having children of different ages.
If possible, a schedule should be planned which can be
carried out under ordinary circumstances in three-quarters
or less of the allotted time. Otherwise it will be overloaded
and the mother cannot keep up with it* There are inevit-
able interruptions in any work at home, and there are times
which should be devoted to relaxation. A schedule which
can be followed allots at least one-fourth of the total time
to such expected and unexpected items.
Husband and wife and children may well work out the
schedule together* There will then be no need for adven-
titious awards, as bribes. Children will be sufficiently inter-
ested in helping to carry their share. There is no place
like a home for the real development of democratic co-
operation, since the family starts well ahead of other insti-
tutions in its growth toward the ideal of considering each
individual as important and valuable. All schedule-planning
done together tends to be more practical; but better yet, it
puts interest where interest should be, shows up the diffi-
culties of the gtoup members, and teaches each the problems
which others in the group face.
Democracy in planning is the ideal. In execution, divi-
sion of labor is efficient, and should be the rule. This
means that individuals are responsible for the tasks dele-
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